1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera which is capable of recording, on a recording medium, image information, signal-received information, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been already generally known a technical art of providing a film with a magnetic recording part and recording or reproducing, on or from the magnetic recording part, film information and camera-photo-taking information. Also, the so-called digital camera, which records or reproduces, on or from a memory, image information or photo-taking information, has come into popular use.
Further, there have been recently proposed a variety of technical arts in which the camera is capable of obtaining positioning (measured-position) information or bearing (measured-direction) information and recording such information together with a photo-taken image on a recording medium. In the above technical arts, the positioning information or bearing information is made to be obtained by receiving GPS (Global Positioning System) information, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 6-67282, etc. The GPS information is information produced by a GPS receiving apparatus (an apparatus for receiving radio waves from artificial satellites) which is equipped with a camera. Absolute-position information such as the positioning information or bearing information can be obtained from the GPS information in the above-mentioned manner.
The GPS information sometimes becomes difficult to receive, for example, in a tunnel or in a room in the basement. If a photo-taking operation is performed in such a situation with the positioning information or bearing information intended to be recorded, information received in the preceding photo-taking operation is made to be recorded, in the above-mentioned Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 6-67282.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 9-127593, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 9-127594, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 9-127595, etc., the reliability of the positioning information or bearing information is made to increase by detecting the reliability of the positioning information or bearing information or by enabling a manual input of information when the GPS information is difficult to receive for a predetermined period of time.
However, in a case where a certain instant scene is intended to be continuously taken by the camera (for example, in the case of continuous shooting), if the signal-receiving state or reliability of the GPS information is detected at the time of every photo-taking operation, as in the above-described conventional example, there is a possibility that a photo-taking operation becomes impossible during a period of time required for such detection.
Further, the detection of the signal-receiving state or reliability of the GPS information, as in the conventional example, necessitates keeping a power supply of the GPS receiving apparatus always in an on-state, so that wasteful electric energy would be consumed.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera capable of recording, on a recording medium, image information and information related to a signal received by signal receiving means, in which, during a predetermined period of time after receiving a signal, the signal receiving means is inhibited from receiving information, so that the camera has the advantage of speedy shooting faculty.
The above and further aspects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.